Everton 4-0 AEK Athens

Everton cruised past AEK Athens 4-0 in the Group One Europe League encounter at Goodison Park, to give the toffee's only their second win of the season, so far.

Joseph Yobo's header saw Everton take an early lead and was soon added to when new-boy Sylvain Distin scored their second from another set-piece.

Steven Pienaar's drive and a close-range effort from on-loan Manchester City striker Jo gave Everton all three-points and sent them to the summit of their group.

The home side made three changes from the side that lost 2-1 at Fulham on Sunday, as Dan Gosling, Diniyar Bilyaletdinov and Marouane Fellaini were drafted in to the starting XI.

Summer-signings Jo and Distin also kept their places in the side but the injured duo of Phil Neville and Tony Hibbert missed out.

David Moyes was quoted in the run-up to the game as saying he wanted his side to get a good result to kick-start their poor start to the season and in the first half he would have been more than pleased with what he saw.

The opening goal of the match came in the 10th minute from a corner won by South African Pienaar, after the midfielder had a low left footed shot turned around the post by Athens keeper Sebatian Saja.

Recent-arrival Bilyaletdinov then swung in the resultant corner and Yobo found himself with a free-header at the far post to give the home side the lead.

Soon after that goal, Moyes' team doubled their advantage, from a corner again, when Distin stuck a leg out at the far post to prod the ball home from a few yards out.

AEK then had their first real chance of the match just after the 20-minute mark when captain Pantelis Kefas hit a sweetly-struck right footed effort just over Tim Howard's bar, after finding himself in space.

Everton found themselves trying to kill-of the game and nearly did so after Jo's headed effort landed on top of the Athens net, after some poor defending from the visitors.

On the half-hour mark Athens midfielder Tam Nsaliwa, and early replacement for the injured Geraldo Alves, drove a curving shot just over the bar, showing their hosts that they can cause them problems.

Seconds after, Everton were close to making their lead consist of three-goals, when Jo headed a Distin long ball agonizingly wide of the post.

Ten minutes before the break Pienaar gave Everton a 3-0 lead, as he hit a low pile-driver from 30-yards out which keeper Saja had no chance of stopping.

At half-time new signing Lucas Neill, who had earlier on in the day completed his free-transfer move to the club, was paraded in front of the fans who were clearly happy at the signing and of the current match-score.

The start of the first half saw Everton make a couple of changes as Leon Osman replaced Tim Cahill at the break and a few minutes in to the second half Yakubu made his return from injury as he replaced the assiduous Bilyaletdinov.

Things went from bad-to-worse for AEK ten minutes in to the second period as defender Carlos Araujo was sent off for kicking-out at Distin, who was clearly in some pain from the incident.

Pienaar carried on with his fine performance into the second half as another low shot had to be saved from Saja, to deny Everton a fourth goal of the night.

Everton came close again on a couple of occasions as both Gosling and Osman went close with two half-chances but AEK were able to keep the ball out of the net.

Brazilian striker Jo then added to the score sheet when he found the ball with his back-to-goal 12-yards out, and swivelled to put the ball past the goalkeeper to put his side 4-0 up with ten-minutes to go.

Athens striker Ismael Blanco had a chance to get one back for the away-side in the dying-minutes, but his effort was straight at Tim Howard and the chance was wasted.

Everton's Louis Saha, who had replaced Steven Pienaar only a short-time earlier, was sent-off in stoppage time for raising his hand to Juanfran's face, which ended the match on a sour-note in an otherwise impressive night for Everton.

Fighting Off Administration & Relegation

It was only sixteen months ago that Portsmouth fans were dreaming of the promised land after defeating Cardiff City in the FA Cup final, but since then things have only gone down hill for the south-coast side.

At the beginning of the next season pundits including Chris Kamara suggested that if any team could break into the top four then it was Harry Redknapp's Portsmouth, a team he cultivated and crafted with heavy financial backing from then-owner Alexandre Gaydamak.

Yet, over the next few weeks the plan started to show cracks, as Gaydamak's purse-strings started to get tighter and he literally found himself in a position where he could not put a single penny in to the club.

Redknapp learnt about the club's financial matters and he found himself in a position that left him with a huge choice to make - does he stay at Pompey and sell the players he fought tooth-and-nail to sign and settle with mid-table mediocrity at best or move to Tottenham Hotspur, where he would receive heavy financial backing again, but this time at a club who could sustain and maintain such a high amount of spending.

Harry obviously chose to move to Spurs, where he could push a team who were majorly underachieving and turn them into a force to be reckoned with.

The mood in the changing room subsequently changed at Fratton Park, with Harry leaving first followed by midfielder Lassana Diara and fox-in-the-box Jermain Defoe, as the club tried to find a way of paying bank loans that had escalated to near the £50 million mark.

Tony Adams short tenure at the club as Manager was soon ended, after a retched run of results saw him lose his job and be replaced by former Nottingham Forest and Rushden and Diamonds manager Paul Hart, who was previously the club's youth set-up director.

Hart managed to keep Pompey in the Premier League but the real drama was yet to come, as the summer months saw Asian businessman Sulaiman Al-Fahim make the club a laughing-stock in the world of football.

He announced his intention of taking over at Pompey on the 27th of May - the day of the Champions League Final - and the takeover is yet to be finalised by the Premier League despite Al-Fahim announcing he is the new owner of the club.

Since then, Chief Executive Officer Peter Storrie has had to sell players such as Peter Crouch and Glen Johnson to stave off the threat of going in to administration, subsequently also having to reduce the wage bill by around 50%.

The protracted deal in it's fourth month, but sources say everything will be announced officially over the next week or two, despite a rival deal coming in at the 11th hour to spoil Al-Fahim's plans.

But what has the summer of uncertainty done for the club's chances of staying in the Premier League and are they going to follow suit of the likes of Newcastle United and Leeds United? - clubs who have clearly thought they are much bigger than what they are...

Hart was given the managerial role on a permanent basis in July and has since brought in thirteen new players - after losing three or four key players at the end of the season, added to the likes of Sylvain Distin and Niko Kranjcar who have exited the club.

Younes Kaboul has shown maturity so far this season and he will be paired with new-boy Tal Ben-Haim at the back with the likes of Hermann Hreidarsson and Anthony Vanden Borre in the full-back positions - and don't forget the man who will be behind them; England's no. 1 David James.

Kranjcar was the one player who could unlock defences from midfield, but half-hearted performances and a soon-to-be contract expiring saw Pompey cash on him but Pompey have decided that the way forward is without him.

Nadir Belhadj will give the team some much-needed with in the midfield whilst the likes of Papa Bouba Diop, Michael Brown and Hayden Mullins will close down the opposition and win the ball for the likes of Kevin Prince-Boateng and Jamie O'Hara will aim to get their fair share of goals as well as assisting the strikers.

Upfront, Pompey lack the kind of fire-power they have had in recent years with the likes of Yakubu, Defoe and Crouch up-top. But Hart does have strikers at his disposal with the likes of Frederic Piquionne and Aruna Dindane providing power and pace, Kanu providing a target to hold-up the ball and Tommy Smith who will give 110% and then some to the cause. Henri Camara is set to sign a one-year deal this week to add some depth to the striking options.

Portsmouth undoubtedly find themselves in a transitional period at the moment, but do have the quality in their ranks to stay up but it's really a question of is the right man in charge? Paul Hart did fantastically well to keep the side up last-term but supporters have questioned whether he is the right man to steer the club to safety this time out. He was able to call upon Brian Kidd last term but this season finds himself with no Kidd, just club coaches Ian Woan, Paul Groves and Guy Whittingham.

I am unsure at the moment as to whether we will stay up, but the signs are there that we can just Sulaiman Al-Fahim has to now back Paul Hart in January as we lack someone who will score 15 goals a season - the difference between staying in the Premiership and going back to the old Division 1.

It's going to be a long hard season for Pompey, but 20,000 fans week-in-week-out at Fratton Pak will also play their part in what is set to be a season with a fair-few of twists and turns.

Prediction: Worse teams have finnished mid-table but better teams have been relegated, who really knows? I say we will stay-up, but only just and it may well be far from dsereved.

Pompey Memories - My First Ever Match

In a new feature titled. 'Pompey Memories', I shall be recalling certain events that have happened whilst I have supported Portsmouth FC.

The first time I ever went to Fratton Park will be the first thing I will reminisce about, and how I felt after I had caught the Pompey bug.

7th September 1996 - Portsmouth 1-1 Port Vale - Division 1 Fixture

It was such a long time ago but memories remain from my first ever trip to Fratton Park, even if it was a bore-draw that my young eyes were gripped to. I remember the walk to the ground, it epitomised what football was all about; the smell from the burger vans, the hordes of people donning club colours and the fact that thousands of people, from all different backgrounds, would gather in a small old-fashioned stadium to share one thing - a passion for Pompey.

As I approached the south stand turnstiles I was approached by a police officer, which you could imagine was quite a daunting prospect for an innocent and naive 9-year-old child. He only asked me not to enter the ground holding a can of drink, but for a second I really thought I was in big trouble.

We got into the ground and it was extremely exciting waiting for kick-off, waiting to hear the ground erupt with the 'Pompey Chimes', something that still sends a shiver down my spine now when I hear them. One thing did annoy me though, to the extent I kept talking about it, one guy was wearing a black Manchester United shirt and I was livid – how dare he do such a thing!

Just after kick-off and I remember looking up to the directors box and for the first time in my life I felt star-struck as I saw Portsmouth's club consultant (later chairman of the club) Terry Venables. It was only weeks prior to seeing him that I watched England crash out cruelly against the Germans on penalties at Euro 96.

The game ended 1-1, with Port Vale's Andrew Porter cancelling out Lee Russell's early strike. Even though it wasn’t the greatest game, I was hooked and had caught the Pompey-bug, and how times have changed since my first ever match, as Pompey currently reside in the English Premier League.

Whats the Storrie, Peter?

Portsmouth Chief Executive Officer Peter Storrie is set to rival Sulaiman Al-Fahim's bid to take over the club, by heading a consortium of financial backers.

Reports on the south-coast claim that Storrie had set up this consortium as a plan B to Al-Fahim's potential takeover, but because the situation has dragged on he could be forced to come forward sooner rather than later.

Portsmouth have had to sell key players Peter Crouch and Glen Johnson just to stave off the threat of administration and if a buyer for the club is not found in the near future then more player sales will be imminent.

The news broke of Al-Fahim's potential takeover was announced in May and has still not been completed, despite the Arab billionaire denying on many occasions that he doesn't have the money to fund the takeover.

Storrie is now getting fed-up with Al-Fahim and intends to try and complete a deal himself within the next week, so the club's future can be resolved and money can be spent on a depleted playing squad.

No comment has been made by Storrie regarding these reports, but Quay Radio claims he could announce his intentions to save the club by the end of today.

Portsmouth Face Uncertain Future

It's been a roller-coaster decade for the fans of Portsmouth Football Club, as they have experienced every emotion possible supporting their side.

The latest emotion resembles the one that was prominent with Pompey fans back in 1998, when fear swept across the city as the club found themselves in administration, not knowing whether there would be a club to support for much longer.

Milan Mandaric saved the club in May 1999, but now the club's long-term future hangs in the balance again, as the club's current owner has washed his hands with the south coast outfit.

Alexandre Gaydamak, son of wealthy businessman Arcadi Gaydamak, bought the club from Mandaric in 2006 and took the club in a positive direction; with the club becoming a top-half Premiership team soon after.

In 2008, Portsmouth were flying high as they finished 8th in the league and also won the world-famous FA Cup, but since then the club have hit rough waters.

Manager Harry Redknapp left the club to join Tottenham Hotspur in October 2008, citing that Pompey desperately needed the money they got for his departure.

Since then, Gaydamak has refused to put a single penny into the club and Chief Executive Officer Peter Storrie has revealed the only way to keep the club running was to sell prize assets such as Glen Johnson, Lassana Diarra, Peter Crouch and Jermain Defoe.

In May, Arab businessman Sulaiman Al-Fahim had a bid accepted for the club, but after the protracted due-diligence period had actually finished, news broke that a fee had not been agreed and that’s what Al-Fahim and Gaydamak are still talking about.

The stumbling point seems to be who should own the clubs reported £30 million debt after the transaction goes through, with both parties not wanting to take on the burden.

Gaydamak has said he will sell the club for next to nothing as long as he doesn’t have to take on the debt, but Al-Fahim believes the debt is nothing to do with him so he shouldn’t have to take it on.

Al-Fahim, the Alan Sugar of the UAE, had originally stated he was the head of a consortium to buy Pompey has now had to try and finance the deal in another way, as those mystery backers withdrew their interest after learning they had to reveal themselves to the FA.

The deal now hangs in the balance, but one thing is for sure, if the deal does not go through then Portsmouth will be put into administration again, and in the process would become the first Premiership team to do so incurring a 10 point deduction.

Paul Hart's side now find themselves on the brink of entering a Premiership season with a squad barely able to compete in such a league, but for once their Premiership survival is far from any fans lips, as all they want is a team to support in the long-term, regardless of which league they are in.

We have lived above our own means and have over achieved because of the amount we spent on transfer fees and wages, but we can't sustain this level of spending and are now paying the price for doing so.

Pompey fans have seen this all before, but all they ask is to be kept informed of what is happening but that want is being ignored.

The Fratton Faithfull comes into their own when their backs are against the wall, and they make the club what it is, but how long will they have a club for?

Play up Pompey
Just one more goal!
Make tracks...What ho?!
Hallo Hallo!

Premiership Preview

In 8 days time, the greatest football league will be back for another season and what a season it is set to be! Chelsea host Hull City in the opening fixture and this season will hopefully see the most open title race in years as realistically there are 5 teams who could win the title (Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal). Here, I shall take a look at each team and give my opinion as to how I think they will perform in the next 10 months.

Arsenal - Arsene Wenger will lead his team into the season facing an uphill struggle to compete with the other teams. I firmly believe the sales of Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Adebayor were right for the club, as the money gained will go far to replace them with more than adequate players to help the Gunners progress up the table. My only fear is the age and experience of the squad, as their ability could never come under question. They place the nicest football in the league just lack experience in certain areas. Eduardo will be able to put his injury woes behind him and hopefully be the man to score the goals for the North London side. If they can buy one or two quality experienced players they could just challenge for the title, but for me they will do well to qualify for the Champions League.

Aston Villa - Fabian Delph and Stewart Downing are the major signings of the summer for Martin O'Neill's side and they will only add to the quality in the squad. Last season Delph really came into his own at Leeds, being nominated for League one player of the season, as well as winning young player of the season and goal of the season. He will add a bit of steal to a central midfield that has been depleted by the sale of Gareth Barry to Man City. With Martin Laursen and Zat Knight no longer at Villa Park, a central defender is needed desperately and Portsmouth's Sylvain Distin has been mooted as a possible target for O'Neill. I expect Villa to be in the top echelons of the Premiership next season and maybe a cup run isn't beyond them.

Birmingham City - David Gold and David Sullivan have certainly backed Alex McLeish this summer and the Scot will be hoping that Birmingham can preserve their top flight status because of this. Big money has been spent on defenders Scott Dann and Roger Johnson, who undoubtedly have been at the top of their games in the Championship but they lack top flight experience. Barry Ferguson will be their best buy and will add steel to their midfield and make them a lot harder to break down than first expected. Cristian Benitez, the Ecuadorian striker, is a huge signing but doubts over his fitness and ability could well see his large £9.5 million transfer fee slightly hard to justify. I think they will be in and around the mix at the bottom of the league but should stay up, just.

Blackburn Rovers - Sam Allardyce will want to make Rovers into a team that will be hard to beat, like his former side Bolton. Roque Santa Cruz was a huge loss, but it was inevitable, so a replacement has been scouted for months. Nikola Kalinic is set to come in from Hadjuk Split, in a deal worth in excess of £6 million and the Croatian international comes with supporters including national coach Slaven Bilic and Croatian legend Robert Prosinecki. Franco Di Santo of Chelsea will also sign with, Watford striker Nathan Ellington set to follow soon after. I am unsure as to how they will do this season, but mid-table would be a welcome from the club's supporters.

Bolton Wanderers - I'm a huge fan of Gary Megson's side, as they are workman like, grinding out results from beneath opponents' feet. They have added quality to the squad in terms of full-backs Sam Ricketts and Paul Robinson from Hull and West Brom respectively. Zat Knight will compete with Andy O'Brien, Danny Shittu and Gary Cahill in the centre of defence, making the Trotters even more solid at the back. Sean Davis may well be the best bit of business Megson will do in a long time, signing the former Fulham and Spurs midfielder from Portsmouth on a free. Megson had a bid rejected in January by Portsmouth of £3.5 million for the player, and has now signed him for free and the player will only add to the sides endeavour and will to win. Another striker, to either compliment or back-up Kevin Davies is needed and I'm sure the club will move quickly to sort out this problem. A mid table position for Bolton...

Burnley - I want to be able to say Burnley will survive this year but I'm just not that sure. They have signed some relatively average players like Richard Eckersley and Brian Easton that have replaced quality that has been released. Steven Fletcher is a good piece of business, with the Scotsman leaving Hibs for around £4 million and he will be the man who will score the majority of the teams’ goals. Robbie Blake will be key to their success but will he be able to last two matches a week in the Premiership? I hope so, but doubt it. Tye Mears has joined from Derby, expect him to leave next summer for a trial in France like he did with Derby last season. In all honesty they lack a lot of quality in certain areas but they could stay up with a good start to the season and a bit of luck...Relegation candidates without a doubt, although Owen Coyle is a well respected coach, so you never know.

Chelsea - Carlo Ancelotti was decided as the man to replace Guus Hiddink, someone who brought back a lot of respect to Stamford Bridge after a disastrous spell for big Phill Scolari. Ross Turnball and Danny Sturridge have joined the club but its the other piece of business Chelsea have done that has got my tongue wagging, as Russian Yuri Zhirkov has been signed up. He can play either as a full-back or a wide man and for me could be the key to the team’s success next season. Ancelotti will be keen to get a good start to make sure the blues don’t lose ground on Manchester United and Liverpool early on. They will challenge all the way but will fall at the final hurdle.

Everton - I like Everton, just because of the way they conduct themselves and would like them to do well again this season. They have every attribute to do so, but if they lose Joleon Lescott that could well have started to dismantle a ship sailing to paradise. If Man City did sign the former Wolves defender, Everton would have a gaping hole at the back with Jagielka out injured for a couple of months and the likes of Jack Rodwell not ready to be a regular in the centre of defence. In midfield they have quality in abundance with the likes of Tim Cahill, Marouanne Fellaini and Steven Pienaar doing their thing, whilst Mikel Arteta will be able to establish himself back into the side after a gruelling injury. Upfront they boast an array of talent when fit, with Louis Saha, Victor Anichebe and Jo all vying for a place. They also have Yakubu, who prior to last season was the top scorer in the Premiership in the previous 5 seasons (apart from Thierry Henry and Ronaldo). They can do well, but they have to hold on to Lescott.

Fulham - They have come full circle in the past 2 years, with Roy Hodgson keeping them in the Premiership and then guiding his side to a seventh place finish last term. They have lost no-one of any significance this pre-season and have acquired the signings of Stephen Kelly and Bjorn Riise and I would fully expect to see them in the top half come May 2010. Brede Hangeland has been linked with a possible move to Arsenal but Hodgson remains optimistic that he can keep the Norwegian captain at Craven Cottage. An extended run in europe may be too much to ask of due to squad size, but Fulham deserve all they get.

Hull City - At Christmas you would have said they will stay up with ease, but a run of poor results saw them narrowly avoid the drop on the final day of last season. They lack quality and even though Phil Brown is a good young English manager, he does make it hard for himself doing silly things, such as that half-time team-talk on the pitch against Manchester City. Seyi Olofinjana will add a presence to their poor midfield and American Jozy Altidore will add pace up top, but they will struggle and I believe they will be down with a small points score.

Liverpool - Last season I said Liverpool will not be a force in the title race, which I admit I was wrong with, but they did lack width and I can see that possibly being their downfall this term. Fernando Torres, if kept fit, will provide the much needed fire-power to keep them high up in the table. Glen Johnson will shore up their defence and will only add to their attacking options as he can get up and down the pitch without a problem. Xabi Alonso leaving has been in the pipeline for a long time so they have had plenty of time to sound out a replacement, believed to be Alberto Aquilani of AS Roma. He, Steven Gerrard and Javier Mascherano will be a hard midfield to breakdown and also a midfield that has plenty of attacking attributes. My only worry is who they have to compliment Torres upfront, but Rafa Benitez will know his plans and I can see them pushing Manchester United all the way, possibly losing out again to Sir Alex Ferguson's men.

Manchester City - This could be a very long paragraph. I honestly think they will have a stinker this season, as you need more than money to buy a title. OK, Chelsea bought their way to the title in 2005 but they had a team spirit with the likes of John Terry and Frank Lampard and the had a charismatic number one in Jose Mourinho that brought out the best in them. I think Man City lack those elements, but they have brought in quality, undoubtedly, with the likes of Kolo Toure, Carlos Tevez, Emmanuel Adebayor and Gareth Barry joining the Eastland’s revolution. They will be luck to even challenge Man United and Liverpool this term. I find their attitude to be patronising to other teams and I believe they think they are a lot better than they really are. They should aim to break into the top 4 and go from there, as title talk is a litte far-fetched for me, even if they have spent over £100 million in the last year.

Manchester United - I like to knock Sir Alex Ferguson, but it is seriously a hard thing to do, because he is that damn good. He cultivated and crafted a team with the likes of Beckham, Cantona and Schmeichel that dominated English football for a decade and then people talked about how it was the end of Man United's time at the top of the league. What did he go and do? Yep, you’ve guessed it; he did the same with a new bunch of players and kept United at the top of the league. Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez have left and people think that City will eclipse them as the super-power in Manchester, which is the biggest load of cods-wallop I have heard. He has signed Michael Owen, a proven goal scorer and still a top-notch player. Antonio Valencia has come in from Wigan and has looked simply majestic in Midfield, slotting in perfectly in pre-season. One thing Valencia will do that Ronaldo didn’t is tracking back, and compared to the £80 million Portuguese star you could describe Valencia has somewhat assiduous. I think they are quality and will win the title again, which is hard to say for me because I am one who hates United, but I cannot ever deny how good they are.

Portsmouth - It's been a rocky few months on the south-coast, with Pompey having to sell prize-assets Peter Crouch and Glen Johnson to stay out of administration and then threes the protracted takeover. Sulaiman Al-Fahim says he will definitely buy the club but according to some that hangs in the balance, so other players may have to be sold. Paul Hart was told he would not be the new manager, but then given the job in spectacular circumstances. I like Paul Hart, but he does have a job on his hands this season. But, we still have quality in our squad and I am optimistic that we will stay up and that the takeover will go through soon. David James, Sylvain Distin, Papa Bouba Diop, Niko Kranjcar, Kanu, Younes Kaboul and Sir Linvoy all remain, and that proves that there is still quality at Fratton Park. Aaron Mokoena, Steve Finnan and Freddy Piquionne have already come in and the likes of Amr Zaki and Mark Viduka are targets for the club who have had a roller-coaster few years to say the least. I think it will be a hard season for Pompey, but with the mix of the quality that remains at Fratton, the Manager's know-how and the passionate support the club has on the south-coast they will avoid the drop, but make no bones about it, a difficult season is ahead for Portsmouth - but that’s when Pompey fans show their worth and get behind their team. And as I literally finish Pompey, more experience has been added with former Southampton keeper Anti Niemi joining on a free transfer.

Stoke City - Fair play to Tony Pulis, he kept up Stoke last season when most thought they would go down. For me it was one certain piece of business he did in January which lead to them staying up and that was the signing of James Beattie. He scored goals and assisted others so the side could get results and he will prove to be priceless this term as they bid to stay in the Premiership for a third season. Tony Pulis has seen one midfielder depart, Seyi Olofinjana, and replaced him with Sunderland's Dean Whitehead, which is a good signing. I think it will be a hard season for City though and expect them to be in a relegation battle all season with the likes of Wigan, Hull, Portsmouth, Wolves and Burnley.

Sunderland - Steve Bruce has identified his side’s weaknesses and moved quickly to strengthen with the likes of Frazier Campbell and Darren Bent joining the black-cats. Lorik Cana is the one to watch for me, as he will shore up the side in the middle of the park and allow others to have more of an attacking role. I don’t think we are looking at a top 8 side, but mid table would be a fair assumption to make at this stage. The arrival of Ellis Short as majority shareholder is also a great move, as the man appears to be passionate about the club.

Tottenham Hotspur - Harry Redknapp is a fantastic manager and has signed an array of talent this summer, with Peter Crouch adding to his striking options, Sebastian Bassong shoring up the defence and also Kyle Naughton igniting some pace down the right side of the pitch. I think Spurs could break into the top four and if any man can do it, it's the man who brought silverware to south-coast Portsmouth. He has Joe Jordan and Kevin Bond by his side who are fantastic on the training field, and I think Spurs will do extremely well this season.

West Ham United - Gianfranco Zola stabilised West Ham last season in a time of upheaval and also got them playing some attractive football. They have done business on the quiet this pre-season and signings like Luis Jimenez can only add to their squad. I like West Ham and can see them fighting for a european place if they get off to a decent enough start. Mark Noble continues to flourish in their narrow midfield and with the likes of Scott Parker and Jack Collison backing him up; they are a midfield that will again be hard to break down.

Wigan Athletic - Stevce Bruce and Antonio Valencia leaving might just have seen the downfall of Wigan. Roberto Martinez is a good coach but is he Premiership quality? I'm far from sure but he signed Jason Scotland from former club Swansea to give them a presence up top and that is certainly what he will be. Other players signed include Jordi Gomez, Hendry Thomas and James McCarthy, names that will hardly set the DW fans alight. A season of struggle for me...

Wolverhampton Wanderers -I really want to write them off, citing there isn’t enough experience in their squad to survive, but you know what? I think they will be ok. Kevin Doyle is a huge signing for Wolves and will score goals and be a target up front, which is what you need as a smaller side in the league. Greg Halford has also signed, and the defender-come-striker will be a useful addition to the side, wherever he plays. Promising youngster Andrew Surman has left Southampton to sign up at Molineux and he will certainly be a lively force in midfield for Mick McCarthy's side. I'm going to have a punt and say they will stay up.

Prediction: Final League Standings

1. Manchester United.
2. Liverpool.
3. Chelsea.
4. Manchester City.
5. Arsenal.
6. Tottenham Hotspur.
7. Aston Villa.
8. Everton.
9. Fulham.
10. West Ham United.
11. Sunderland.
12. Bolton Wanderers.
13. Blackburn Rovers.
14. Birmingham City.
15. Portsmouth.
16. Wolverhampton Wanderers.
17. Wigan Athletic.
18. Burnley.
19. Stoke City.
20. Hull City.

Harry in Hunt for Klaas

Real Madrid striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar is still a target for Tottenham Manager Harry Redknapp, despite the club recently recruiting Peter Crouch from Portsmouth.

In the past two years, the club have shelled out in excess of £65m to secure the services of current forwards Darren Bent and Roman Pavlyuchenko while also as bringing back Jermain Defoe, Robbie Keane and Crouch to White Hart Lane.

Before Crouch signed for £9m, it was believed that the club were keen on Huntelaar and that either one of the two would join, not both.

But with Bent seemingly close to joining Steve Bruce's Sunderland, there could be space at the club for the former PSV Eindhoven and Ajax striker.

Redknapp, who is currently in China for the Asia Trophy with Spurs, added fuel to the fire regarding a possible move for Huntelaar.

'It is definitely not a no-go.

'If he is available then again he is a player that interests me.

'I think if any top-class player becomes available then you have to be interested and if Darren Bent does go then maybe we will be interested.'